


Running Shorts

by LM4Y



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:02:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24246952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LM4Y/pseuds/LM4Y
Summary: “If you want to trade rooms, there’s a really great bunk bed down the hall. I’m open to swapping.”Stan rolled his eyes and Beverly giggled. “What’s so bad about that, Eddie? Are you too cool for a bunk bed?”Eddie huffed, “No! It’s not the b-”“He’s whining, because he’s bunking with Richie.” Mike grinned from the hallway, “Hi, Bevvie.”
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Patricia Blum Uris/Stanley Uris
Comments: 4
Kudos: 70





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So far, I have a horrible track record of finishing these stories. Here's hoping quarantine forces me into some better habits :) Thank you for reading!

Eddie opted for a few dynamic stretches before taking off. His mind ran through the usual checklist as his pace increased:  _ Are you heel-striking? Nope. Two breaths in through the nose, one out through the mouth?  _ Eddie inhaled in time with the music playing through his headphones. He exhaled.  _ Check.  _ It didn’t take long for Eddie to completely lose himself to his surrounding environment, his music, and the simple, yet powerful, act of running. This was good, he thought: his brain could use the break. 

Eddie considered himself fit, despite not committing to his physical health until entering graduate school. Undergrad was all it took for so many to claim their autonomy. It would appear that Eddie needed to take a second lap of higher education to get there. 

He thought of Myra and shivered. 

_ Fine,  _ Eddie thought,  _ it took two degrees, a failed marriage, and nearly forty years to get there. _ The point was, he DID get there, and thank  _ fuck  _ for that. Subconsciously, Eddie’s thumb rubbed the soft skin on the inside of his, now naked, ring finger. 

“Fuck”, the man wheezed. Ignoring a sudden shock of discomfort from his stomach, Eddie increased his pace and turned up his music. By this point, he was running alongside the main road into town. If he had to guess, he was close to two and a half miles into a six mile run. Two breaths in, one breath out. 

His body clearly hated him for running at such an incline, but his mind was thriving with the new stimuli. The seven of them had decided to celebrate in Utah and this was Eddie’s first run since flying in the previous afternoon.  _ God _ \- he had been looking forward to this trip since saying goodbye nearly a year ago. Eddie’s mind drifted back to his arrival, both as a result of the year he spent anticipating this and as a desperate attempt to distract himself from the burn in his stomach. 

...

_ A bright door opened to reveal Mike, beaming down at him, “Eddie!” _

_ “Thank  _ fuck _ ,” Eddie huffed, barreling past Mike into the home, “This house has no address posted  _ anywhe _ re- I had no idea if this was the right place. Not like I could call you to ask, seeing as though there is  _ no  _ signal out here. It’s concerning, Mike. What if-”  _

_ The air in Eddie’s lungs was forced out of his body in one fell swoop as Mike went in for a hug. “I’ve missed you, Eddie.” _

_ Eddie’s brow relaxed and his arms found their way around Mike’s back. “Hi, Mike.” _

_ “Hi, Eddie.”  _

_ Eddie tried to blink away tears before pulling away, “Anyone else here?” _

_ “Yup,” a small voice rang from the kitchen. Stan walked into the entryway with three cold beers, “Cheers, everyone.” _

_ Eddie took the proffered beverage and hugged Stan. “How are you?” His voice came out muffled against Stan’s shoulder. Stan pulled back, but maintained a hand on Eddie’s shoulder.  _

_ “I’m doing well, Eddie. How are you?” _

_ Eddie tried not to shrink under Stan’s steady stare, “Better, now.” The honesty of his own answer surprised him. He wasn’t even sure if “now” referred to being in Utah or being newly single. Both, he supposed.  _

_ The corner of Stan’s lips twitched. There was a twinkle of amusement dancing in his eyes. Mike huffed a laugh, “I’ll drink to that.”  _

_... _

Eddie’s watch buzzed, letting him know that he made it to four miles. Two more to go. Reluctantly, Eddie slowed his pace- the ache in his stomach was hard to ignore.  _ Deep breaths, Eddie. You don’t want to vomit right before seeing Ri- seeing everyone.  _

Damnit, he shouldn’t have drank so much last night. 

...

_ An hour and a half after arriving, Eddie heard the front door open. He and Stan made their way to see Beverly moving her suitcase inside.  _

_ Beverly looked up, blowing a piece of hair out of her face. “Hi, boys,” she breathed.  _

_ Eddie blushed. Beverly’s voice was coated in affection, it almost stung to be in her presence. Eddie had never felt as  _ known  _ than by Beverly.  _

_ “Hi, Beverly. How was the flight?” Stan smiled. _

_ “Stan!” She sighed into his embrace. They held each other for a beat. “The flight was fine. I always get so tired on travel days. When did you guys get in?” _

_ “Mike and I flew in earlier this afternoon. Eddie got here a bit over an hour ago.” _

_ Beverly’s eyes found Eddie’s. “Hi, Bevvie,” Eddie smiled, a bit bashful despite himself.  _

_ Beverly enveloped him in a hug, “Hello, honey.” She grinned, “Shall we call this meeting of the divorcees to order?” _

_ Eddie coughed a laugh, “Sure.”  _

_ Eddie and Beverly had become virtually inseparable over the past year. When Beverly had announced that she was divorcing Tom, Eddie called her almost immediately. He claimed it was because he wanted to be supportive. It had nothing to do with his own (failing) marriage. The fact that he and Richie decided to drive down to New York following everyone’s… “reunion” in Maine was simply a coincidence. He wasn’t avoiding his wife or anything. After that first call, Eddie and Beverly called each other at least once a week. It became routine for Eddie.  _

_ Shortly after his return home, Eddie moved into the guest bedroom and began to lead a life separate from his wife’s. While Beverly grew more hopeful, Eddie was steadily growing more miserable. One night, after several glasses of wine, Eddie admitted his truth. In a hushed, slightly slurred, voice, Eddie told Beverly that he didn’t want to be married anymore.  _

_ Eddie filed for divorce two days after that. _

_ “Where’s Mike?” Beverly inquired, breaking Eddie of his thoughts.  _

_ Stan shrugged, “The bathroom. You want to come in? I can show you where you’re sleeping.” _

_ “If you want to trade rooms, there’s a really great bunk bed down the hall. I’m open to swapping.”  _

_ Stan rolled his eyes and Beverly giggled. “What’s so bad about that, Eddie? Are you too  _ cool  _ for a bunk bed?”  _

_ Eddie huffed, “ _ No!  _ It’s not the b-” _

_ “He’s whining, because he’s bunking with Richie.” Mike grinned from the hallway, “Hi, Bevvie.”  _

_ The two greeted each other and exchanged hugs.  _

_ “Wasn’t he flying in tonight?” Beverly looked to Eddie, as if he was the expert on all things  _ Richie _.  _

_ No one spoke for a moment. Eddie sighed, “He  _ was _ , but then he overslept and missed his flight, because he’s a dumbass. He’s supposed to arrive in the morning.” _

_ “Richie and Bill get in tomorrow,” Mike summarized. He looked at Beverly, “What’s Ben’s plan?” _

_ If Eddie was the expert on Richie, then Beverly had a PhD in Benjamin.  _

_ “He finished up his last meeting as I was boarding my flight,” She blushed, “Ben was surprised at how quickly everything wrapped up, so he’s trying to find an earlier flight here.” _

_ “That’s great! Well, Bev, would you like a drink or anything?”  _

_ Beverly hummed, tapping her chin in mock-thought, “I suppose one couldn’t hurt.” _

_ … _

“ _ Fuck _ me,” Eddie gagged. How many beers had he had last night? Eddie had managed another half mile before coming to a complete stop on the side of the road. “Okay, this is happening.” 

He heaved. Remnants of last night’s beer spilled onto the yard.  _ What a fantastic start to vacation,  _ Eddie sighed. He swallowed the acid that lingered in his mouth and wiped the tears from his eyes. As Eddie attempted to steady his breathing, a car’s horn honked from behind him. He ignored it; he had more pressing matters at hand. 

The sound of slowing tires crushing the soft grass interrupted Eddie’s desperate attempt not to vomit again.  _ Who the fuck- _

“Aren’t ladies of the night supposed to work at night?” A brazen voice called out, “And aren’t they supposed to be  _ ladies _ ?” 

Eddie knew that voice. He turned, “R-Richie?” His voice was raspy with acid.  _ What the fuck was Richie doing here?  _

“Hey, baby,” Richie had his head out of his window. An easy smile graced his lips, “Those shorts ought to be illeg-”

Eddie spewed. 

“ _ Jesus Christ! _ ” Richie cried, fumbling out of his car. He ran towards Eddie, arms reaching for his friend, but he seemed to hesitate once he was within arm’s reach. Eddie mourned the loss of contact and burped. 

“Gross,” Eddie coughed. 

“Dude, what the  _ fuck _ ?”

“I feel a lot better now.” 

Richie gagged.

“Don’t you dare-”

Richie shook his head and covered his mouth.

“Richard, do  _ not. _ ”

The taller of the two closed his eyes, letting out a shaky exhale. Eddie rolled his eyes. He spit once more and placed his hand on Richie’s back.  _ Fuck, he’s broad. _ “You’re okay,” Eddie cooed, rubbing small circles with his hand. “You’re not going to spew  _ shit _ .”

“But I’m  _ Trashmouth _ ,” Richie gritted out, stiff. “Spewing shit is my job.”

Eddie cringed, “There’s that sense of humor so many disturbed individuals pay to see.”

Richie laughed breathlessly and looked down at Eddie. They smiled at each other for a moment, before Richie seemed to remember their current situation. “Wait, shit. Are you okay, Eddie?”

Eddie hummed. “Uh, do you have water or something?”

Richie immediately spun around and ran into his rental. After some shifting, Eddie heard a muffled voice call out, “Aha!” Richie’s wild hair pops out of the car, “Here you go, Eddie Spaghetti.”

“Thank you.” Eddie opened the bottle and paused, “And that’s not my name, jackass.”

Richie threw back his head and laughed. After Eddie appeared satisfied with his amount of mouth rinses, Richie spoke up again. “Can I drive you back home?”

Eddie knew Richie would never let him finish his run after what he had just witnessed, despite the fact that Eddie was feeling  _ much  _ better. He sighed, “Are you going to follow all traffic laws?” 

Richie smiled, recognizing Eddie’s defeat, “You know I’m not.”

“I’m ignoring that.” Eddie sniffed, acting like he was the one doing Richie the favor. “Alright well,  _ Someone _ has to make sure you get to the right place. There’s no address on the property  _ whatsoever _ . It’s fucking madness, Richie.”

Richie huffed a laugh and ushered Eddie to the car. “What would I do without you, Eds?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Fuck you!” Eddie screamed, as if this hadn’t been what he had wanted the entire time. Eddie wrapped his legs around Richie’s torso as the larger man leaned over Eddie’s form. With a surprising amount of strength, Eddie flipped the two over, forcing Richie on his back. 
> 
> “Christ, Eddie. Did you become a blackbelt after your divorce went through?”
> 
> “No, dude, I partake in moderate exercise and I don’t eat McShit for every meal,” Eddie panted as he attempted to pin Richie. 
> 
> Richie twisted his wrists out of Eddie’s grasp and forcefully exhaled. Eddie’s hair moved with Richie’s breath. “I don’t eat McDonalds, dude,” Richie wrestled with Eddie for a moment more, “I even eat the occasional smoothie now.” 
> 
> “Really?” Eddie paused, looking into Richie’s eyes. Using his free hand, Eddie adjusted Richie’s glasses, “Good for you, dude.”

“Congratulations on not missing  _ another _ flight,” Eddie joked as he buckled himself. 

“Two times the charm,” Richie hummed, starting up the car. 

A stiff silence fell. Eddie couldn’t help but cringe and assume the fault. No matter the circumstances, he felt like a complete failure in the social intelligence department. (Especially when it concerned one-on-one situations). (Especially if Richie was involved). 

_ But that wasn’t always the case, was it? _ Richie had been one of the few friends Eddie had, growing up, that ridded him of any fear of inadequacy. Looking back, Eddie wasn’t entirely sure  _ why  _ this was the case, but he supposed that wasn’t the important part. He knew  _ why  _ he was being so Goddamn awkward now and that required a bit more immediate action, anyway. 

Eddie wracked his mind for conversation topics that weren’t reminiscent of the Twenty Questions game. Richie’s flight? That seemed like a safe plan. “So, uh. How was it?” 

_ God, he was an idiot.  _

Richie frowned at the road ahead of them, “ _ It…?  _ It being the sex I had last night? With your mom?”

“I really don’t think your sympathetic gag reflex could handle me vomiting  _ again,  _ Richie.” Eddie frowned as his friend huffed a laugh, “And you  _ know  _ my mom is dead, asshole, because I’ve reminded you  _ every time  _ you ‘your mom’ joke me. Jesus  _ Christ-  _ do they  _ pay you  _ for this? Do people honest-to-God think you’re funny?” Eddie looked up at Richie with a scowl. He had every intention of continuing his rant, he really did- spouting off seemed to be the one thing Eddie was  _ occasionally  _ good at- but then he caught Richie smiling at him.  _ Soft- _ smiling at him. 

Like he had done so many times on their drive to New York a year ago. 

Eddie’s cheek’s burned. 

“Eyes on the road, dickhead,” Eddie mumbled, looking away. 

After a moment, Richie sighed. “So, are we not going to talk about how I found you upchucking on the side of the road this morning?” 

“Vomit happens, sometimes,” Eddie shrugged, “It’s no big deal.”

Richie scoffed, “That’s usually my line, Eds.”

“That’s not my name.”

“Don’t get me wrong- I  _ love  _ that my first impression of Salt Lake City was you blowing chunks in those shorts, bu-” 

“-Are you seriously sexualizing me vomiting right now?”

Richie chuckled, stealing another glance at Eddie, “ _ God,  _ Eddie. I’ve missed you.”

And seriously?  _ Fuck Richie _ for saying it.  _ Obviously,  _ Richie missed Eddie. Eddie felt safe in assuming that Richie missed  _ all  _ of The Losers. Had Eddie missed Richie? Yes. More than Eddie could comprehend. Richie pulled away from Eddie’s place of residence all those months ago and left Eddie feeling like he had a gaping hole in his chest. 

_ Of course  _ Eddie missed Richie.

“I wish I could say the same, Richard.” Eddie smiled playfully. 

Richie guffawed. 

“Wait- where are we?”

“Dude, isn’t that your job to know? You offered to navigate.” 

“ _ Fuck.  _ Okay, turn around. We completely passed it.”

“The ol’ memory’s not what it used to be, huh?” 

Eddie could  _ hear  _ the shit-eating grin on Richie’s face, “This is your fault.  _ You  _ distracted me!” 

“ _ You  _ were the one that initiated the conversation that got you so distracted, Eds. The fault is, in fact,  _ yours. _ ”

…

“Good morning, Vietnam!” Richie called out as he entered the vacation home. 

“Well, if they weren’t awake before your arrival, they are now.” Eddie muttered. 

“Richie?” Stan called out. Eddie could hear movement in the kitchen. 

“Here,” Eddie smiled, reaching for Richie’s duffle, “Let me put this in your room and you can go say hi to Stan.” 

“Oh-” Richie blinked, refocusing his eyes on Eddie, “You sure, dude? That would be great.”

Eddie nodded and turned down the hallway. Once in the room, Eddie’s eye fell on the shared bunk bed. For as much shit as he had given Mike, the set up wasn’t bad at all. The bottom bunk was a double, turned out to run adjacent with the top, twin-sized, bunk. It was well-known that Eddie was a little shit, he had never denied being one, so he didn’t think anyone would be shocked to discover that Eddie- all 5’9” of him- had claimed the double. Eddie was all too delighted to toss Richie’s bag on the top bunk. He had to admit, he was even more delighted to witness Richie’s reaction to his bed assignment. 

“Is Bev still sleeping?” Eddie hummed as he entered the kitchen. Richie was nursing a mug of coffee with Stan at the table.

“Yeah,” Stan smiled, “And Mike’s in the shower.”

“Cool,” Eddie opened the fridge and grabbed a drink. He made his way to the seat across from Richie.

“What the fuck is that?”

“What?” Eddie frowned, looking at Richie.

“That- What are you drinking? Oh,  _ God,  _ Eddie. Please don’t say it’s what I think it is.”

“It’s kombucha,  _ asshole.  _ It helps your digestive system.”

“Are we sure that’s what you should be drinking after this morning? I wouldn’t drink that under  _ normal  _ circumstances.”

Stan frowned, “What happened this morning?” 

Eddie grinned, shyly, “I, uh, threw up a bit during my run. I blame the beer from last night.”

“That’s how I found him, Stanny. Can you imagine? My first time seeing The Losers in a  _ year  _ and Eddie, a  _ vision _ , welcomes me by spewing chunks off the road!” 

Stan grimaces, “One, Richie, you are way too excited about this. Two, can we  _ not  _ talk about this while I drink my coffee? Three, Eddie-” Stan turned away from Richie to look at his other friend, “Are you feeling better now?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m a one-and-done kind of guy. No big deal.”

“Great. Let’s forget I ever said anything.” 

“Hard to forget an image like that, Stan The Man. I can’t make any promises.”

“Oh, fuck off, Trashmouth,” Eddie grumbled. 

The three men continued to talk until Eddie figured it was time to shower. He put his drink back in the fridge and started towards the hallway. 

“I mean, I wasn’t going to say anything, Eds, but  _ pee-yew! _ ” 

Richie laughed as Eddie flipped him off without turning around. 

…

When Eddie returned from the bathroom, he was pleased to find Mike out in the main room with Richie and Stan. The three appeared to be in a serious discussion, but before Eddie could think about intruding, a small hand grazed his lower back. He turned to see Beverly, looking unjustifiably gorgeous in her pajamas. She invited him to the kitchen with her. 

“So, how was your run?” The woman asked as she pulled various supplies from around the kitchen. 

“Mortifying. How was your sleep-in?” 

“Unfulfilling.” Beverly shrugged, “I would sleep until noon if I could.”

Eddie nodded. 

“Do you want any eggs?”

“Sure.”

“Is over-easy okay?”

“Delicious. Can I help you make toast or anything?”

And that’s how Eddie got roped into making breakfast with Beverly. He stomped out to the main room to see if anyone else wanted eggs or toast, before heading back into the kitchen. 

“We need to do this more often.” Beverly declared, placing another four eggs on a serving plate.

“Make breakfast together?”

The woman laughed, “I mean, yes, we make a stellar team, but I was talking about getting everyone together like this.”

“We’re still missing people, Bev,” Eddie chuckled, “including your… boyfriend? Is Ben your boyfriend?”

Eddie didn’t miss the faint blush that colored Beverly’s cheeks. “Yeah.. we had a talk about that the other day, actually.” 

“Yeah? You’re boyfriend and girlfriend now?” Eddie felt thirteen again. 

“Yes,” she giggled, “The divorce finalized, and we were talking about this trip, and… I don’t know, we thought about seeing you guys.” Beverly put down the spatula to look at Eddie, “Ben wanted to call me  _ his,  _ but he didn’t want me to feel like he  _ owned _ me. He’s been so gentle, Eddie. He’s so kind to me. God, I can’t believe what’s happened since that phone call.”

_ That phone call.  _ Eddie couldn’t really believe it, either. His heart throbbed at the raw joy in Beverly’s voice. They had been birds of a feather, hadn’t they? Before he even  _ understood  _ the multifaceted nature of abuse, Eddie and Beverly were connected. He was drawn to her strength, her capacity to love, her femininity. Eddie’s heart broke in the sweetest way, looking at her now, knowing she had  _ broken free.  _

Overcome, Eddie moved towards Beverly. He wanted to hold her, to express his adoration for her, but he didn’t know how. Beverly understood regardless, bringing the man into her embrace. 

“I’m proud of you, Bev.” Eddie’s voice was muffled. 

“Right back atcha, my sweet friend.” 

They lingered together, until two strong arms enveloped both Eddie and Beverly’s forms. “Why didn’t you  _ tell me _ we were hugging it out?” Mike beamed. 

“Toasting bread can be an emotional experience,  _ Michael _ .”

“Yeah,  _ Michael _ .”

“Alright,” Mike smiled, freeing his two friends, “What can I help with?”

“Nothing, really.” Beverly shrugged, “The eggs are pretty much done. Would you call Stan and Richie in?”

…

The five of them gathered for breakfast. In addition to the eggs and toast, Eddie cut up some fruit and brought out some orange juice. 

“Thank you for breakfast, Eddie and Beverly.” Stan smiled kindly.

“Yo, Stan The Man, you want some more coffee? Anybody want more coffee?” 

“Sure thing, Rich.”

It was refreshing how… domestic it all was for Eddie. He paused more than once, just to look across the table at the people he loved the most. Stan cutting his eggs with a small smile, Beverly’s laughter that seemed to ring throughout the house, Mike’s eyes as they danced to each of his friends’ faces. Eddie wasn’t even turned off when he noticed imperfections among his friends, like the crumbs surrounding Richie’s mouth. In fact, he was charmed by it. 

This love was simultaneously the most wonderful and the most terrifying sensation Eddie had ever experienced. 

“So,” Mike cleared his throat, “I told Bill I’d pick him up from the airport this afternoon. Would you guys like to come?”

“We could make quite a scene…” Stan supplied, thoughtfully. 

“All the more reason to say, ‘yes’, Stan Urine.”

“I’m not going if he’s going,” Eddie mock-groaned, pointing at Richie. 

“Oh,  _ please.  _ You love me.”

“Lies.”

“Okay!” Beverly interrupted, “When are you heading out, Mike?”

“I’d say we could head out in about forty minutes. That sound good?” 

They all agreed and quickly dispersed to their corners to get ready. Eddie turned to Richie, “I’ll show you our room”. 

“I’m sorry-  _ our  _ room?”

“Oh yeah,  _ our room _ . Just wait ‘till you see  _ your bed _ . You’re really going to wish you didn’t miss your flight from last night.”

“What the fuck is  _ that  _ supposed to mean?” Eddie ignored him, so Richie kept going. “I guess I should be glad you’re not saying ‘ _ our bed’,  _ huh?”

The two made their way down the hall. Eddie grabbed one of the door handles and glanced up at Richie, “Taa-daa!” 

“Oh,” Richie paused and took in the space. He sat on the double-size mattress. “This isn’t so bad, dude. This bed will be fine.”

“Yeah,” Eddie sighed, sitting beside Richie, “This bed is  _ mine.  _ You get top bunk.”

“The  _ fuck  _ I do!”

Eddie shrugged, “I  _ splay  _ when I sleep _ ,  _ dude. I  _ starfish _ . I need the space.”

“All three feet of you?  _ Hell no _ , Eddie. I’m like, five times your size. I get the double.”

Eddie paused. His eyes roamed Richie’s face in mock-consideration. “Nope.”

“What do you mean, ‘nope’?!”

“I mean ‘ _ nope’-  _ this is  _ my  _ bed.” 

“You stubborn shit-” Richie shoved Eddie back onto the bed. 

“What the  _ fuck _ , Richie??” Eddie cried as he scrambled to sit up.

“ _ Nope,”  _ Richie mimicked, shoving Eddie back down, “Fight me for it, you bitch.”

“ _ Fuck you! _ ” Eddie screamed, as if this hadn’t been what he had wanted  _ the entire time _ . Eddie wrapped his legs around Richie’s torso as the larger man leaned over Eddie’s form. With a surprising amount of strength, Eddie flipped the two over, forcing Richie on his back. 

“ _ Christ,  _ Eddie. Did you become a blackbelt after your divorce went through?”

“No, dude, I partake in  _ moderate exercise  _ and I don’t eat  _ McShit  _ for every meal,” Eddie panted as he attempted to pin Richie. 

Richie twisted his wrists out of Eddie’s grasp and forcefully exhaled. Eddie’s hair moved with Richie’s breath. “I don’t eat McDonalds, dude,” Richie wrestled with Eddie for a moment more, “I even eat the occasional smoothie now.” 

“Really?” Eddie paused, looking into Richie’s eyes. Using his free hand, Eddie adjusted Richie’s glasses, “Good for you, dude.”

“Thanks,” Richie shrugged, sticking two fingers into his mouth, “I’m trying to be better about my health.”

“I’m proud of you, Rich.”

Richie inhaled, scanning the contours of Eddie’s face. He exhaled. Before Eddie could react, Richie jammed his, now wet, right pointer finger into Eddie’s ear. “Get wet-willy’d,  _ bitch _ !” Eddie screamed in disgust. He tried to wretch himself away from the offending appendage and-

“ _ BOYS.”  _ Beverly’s voice rang from the room’s entryway. Both men paused, mid-fight. “You now have  _ twenty minutes _ to get ready before we leave. Did we just travel back in time to our adolescence? Or am I just witnessing two adult men unabashedly  _ regressing _ ?”

Stan poked his head into the room, “Give up now, Beverly. The span of Eddie and Richie’s issues cannot be fixed in twenty minutes.”

“Eddie’s already showered and ready!” Richie whined, extricating his limbs from Eddie’s. 

“Yeah! And Richie never takes more than five minutes to,” Eddie glanced at Richie, “do nothing?” 

“Oh,  _ fuck off,  _ dude.”

“Stop, stop-” Beverly sighed, “I am childless, because I choose not to deal with  _ children _ .” She fixed a glare at Eddie and Richie. “Get ready,  _ now. _ ” She spun on her heel and left. 

Stan deadpanned, “I’m so excited to spend the next  _ eleven days  _ with you both. Truly.” before following suit. 

Eddie sighed, looking down at Richie. The two men stared at each other for another moment, before Richie cleared his throat. “Uh, could you- could you get off of me, Eds?”

Eddie cursed, fervently ignoring the heat painted on his cheeks, and scrambled off of the bed. He muttered a soft apology before turning to his suitcase. 

“So we agree?” 

“What?” Eddie frowned.

“I get the double?”

*****


End file.
